Family
by Bashabuttonstories
Summary: A short story of a battle between the IMC and the 64


**A/N: Liked the idea of the 64, wanted to write a story on them. That's about it. :P**

Family

'The 64 are a family.

And they'll kick your arse.'

The words of Major Gates rung in Bear's ears as he slid under the enemy titan, its broadsword swinging elegantly into the friendly titan behind him. R4-1N was Bear's third titan chassis, but he had not once lost his A.I companion yet. Having ripped the core from its head moments before the enemy Ronin closed in his titan was safe with him. Of course, now he was even more vulnerable, behind enemy lines with nothing but his jump-jet and a spitfire.

He sprinted across the derelict city and bounced off the walls, hoping to stay out of any Titan's view. He was not so lucky. An Ion quickly turned around to face him, the IMC markings shining subtly under the fading sunlight that sprinkled softly through the overcast clouds.

"I love this job." He groaned under his breath, waiting for the inevitable laser shot as he ran acorss the wall straight towards him.

"It pays well." He heard through his comms, moments before Droz crashed into his side and flung him through a window, holding firmly onto a grapple attached to the roof of the building they swung into. They crashed through the glass and were sent tumbling across the floor, the titans stomping coming closer and closer.

"You crazy son of a bitch." He laughed, picking himself up and grabbing his spitfire.

"Damn straight. Now get a move on, we're not out of the woods yet." Droz chuckled.

"Did you just dive through a goddamn window to escape a titan?" Davis laughed through the comms, the sounds of gunfire cracking against the static of the disrupted radio. "Beer is certainly on me when we get out of this."

"We'll hold you to that." The two men laughed back through the comms. Bear kicked down a door that led to the stairwell of the apartment building, and pushed on forward, the two watching one another's backs and checking every single corner.

Gates was struggling against three IMC titans. She had ripped apart the Ronin that had sliced Bear's legion, and was currently in a cat and mouse battle with the Ion that had attacked Bear. On her left a scorch had her cornered, and the Militia had warned her of an approaching Northstar only three clicks away. In all honesty, it wasn't looking great. She was glad her brothers in arms had each other's back, as she knew they would, but she could really use another titan on the field. Davis still had his Ion, L4-Z3R, but it was badly damaged and he was currently making his way through the IMC's troops to the battery of a fallen enemy titan. The Militia would only need a few more moments to exfiltrate the facility and then they could extract from this disaster of a distraction.

"Major Gates, we are outnumbered two to one. Pick your targets wisely. I'll get you out of this, protocol 03, protect the Pilot."

"Thanks H0-M3. But let's both get out of here in one piece eh?" She chuckled.

"This is just a chassis Major, it can be replaced."

"I know." But as the name stated, this chassis was her home. She had fought with it for many years, and planned to for many years to come. "But I don't plan on giving it up."

"Ion's core is charged, suggest cover." Gates boosted into an alleyway, sprinting through the tight space and crashing through a small wall that reached the Titan's thigh on the other side. The bricks tumbled under the titan's massive weight, shattered under its feet with barely any resistance.

"Suggest leaving sonar lock on Alley, possible flanking route. Rotate ninety degrees east and prepare to battle the scorch."

"Thanks." She muttered, twisting her control of him to the east and aiming the 40mm cannon across the desolate rubble and broken streets.

The scorch blasted into view, utilising its only dash, and released a volley of gas canisters into the air, before laying down a wall of fire between it and its opponent.

"Powerful strategy, boost west and lay down particle wall." She followed the Titan's advice, firing her own volley of three into the enemy's chassis, giving her titan a perfect lock. She didn't say anything, or command the titan, H0-M3 was her partner and he knew what she needed. She felt the decision through their neural link, and watched as a line of rockets blasted from her titan's right hand shoulder.

"GAAATES!" Droz and Bear screamed as they blasted out the side of the ruined apartment building, bits of stalker and spectre falling down behind them. Gates sighed to herself as her titan instinctively reached out for her brothers in arms. Droz grappled and landed on the titan's back, using the various maintenance handles to hoist himself up to the battery compartment. Bear landed in H0-M3's hand, or rather, was grabbed out of the air. H0-M3 continued firing at the enemy scorch, who was slowly making its way forward. The sonar pulse pinged the Ion that was flanking through the alleyway, and she decided that was her que to leave.

"H0-M3! Throw me up there!" Bear shouted at the titan, it looked up at the rooftop overlooking the alley, then back at bear, then confirmed with an affirmative "Understood."

"Bear what the fu-" Gates asked, focusing her attention on the approaching scorch.

"Oh you're such a badass!" Droz laughed as he sank an extra battery into H0-M3, restoring its energy shield.

Bear landed with a roll on the building and spun on his heel, sprinting at the ledge he had just cleared and holstering his weapon, instead pulling out satchel charges. He finished his sprint with a leap, clearing the alleyway beneath him, and dropped his charges just in front of the flanking Ion. The Ion once again fired its laser shot at him, but it just barely missed him, slightly singing his armour. He pulled the primer, and watched bits of titan fly up into the air after the blaze of heat and power that was the explosion.

"Hell yeah!" He laughed, pulling his spitfire off of his back. IMC grunts started laying fire down on his position, and he scampered to cover.

"Major Gates? The operation was a success, extraction will arrive shortly." The Militia squad informed.

"In a bit of a mess here, shortly better mean now!" She shouted back into her comms, firing a third volley of tracking rockets, dooming the Scorch ahead of her.

The 40mm cannon shattered and with it H0-M3's left arm was ripped from its socket, and sent the titan tumbling over itself. The cockpit shook, and red alerts blared across the interior. Up. Up. GET UP. Gates screamed in her mind at her robot companion.

"Protocol 03-"

"Fuck Protocol three, get the fuck up!" She screamed.

Davis sprinted across the field through the smoke and debris, and bits of titan, towards the hovering Northstar that had just ripped his commanding officer's, and honorary sister's, titan to shreds. His Ion followed his steps, laying down fire onto the – now – grounded Northstar. Davis took a running leap, right towards the Northstar's fist. He phased out into an alternate dimension, phasing back on the other side of the titan, turning quickly and grabbing onto a maintenance hatch of the back of the Titan. The pilot was too focus on the enemy titan to do much about the rodeo, and Davis had free reign. He ripped open the hatch covering the cockpit, and pulled out his side arm. The pilot inside looked up in shock, before he drew his last breath. Davis holstered his weapon, and pulled the pin out of a grenade, shoving it into the Northstar and leaping towards his Ion, who had rushed towards the enemy titan to grab his pilot. L4-Z3R threw Davis into the cockpit, and release his laser core on the target. At that remained afterwards, was a smoking pile of rubble.

"Briggs this is Davis… Ready to go home."

"The dropship is 2 klicks out, hold out just a few moments longer." She replied, in a stressed tone.

Gates stumbled out of her Titan to her feet, her ears righting and he suit breached. Cuts ran down her arm and her visor was smashed. H0-M3 rose to its feet, stumbling forward, calibrating its new balance with the missing weight of its left arm.

"Pilot Gates." It asked, concerned.

"I'm fine H0-M3. I'm fine." It extended its arm down to Gates, to which she accepted, climbing on and holding on tightly as it raised her to its shoulder. It began to march towards the extraction zone, Davis catching up with her soon after. Bear and Droz were following via rooftop, using their jumpkits to keep up.

Behind them, the team, the family, left a pile of smouldering titans and a whole bunch of dead IMC grunts.

 **Hope you enjoyed!**


End file.
